Improvement in seal-locks



E. THOMSON. Seal Locks.

No. 143,201 Patented September23,1873.

llll l llllll mr l D v r Aw H m Attys 4 is a sectional view of the bar.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. THOMSON, or BUFFALO, rinw'vonk.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEAL-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,201, dated September 23, 1873; application filed April 22, 1873.

Io all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. THOMSON, of

Bufialo, in the State of New -York, have in- -i'ull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had vto the accompanying drawin gs, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view, showing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a view of the bar with the seal-cover removed. Fig. 3 is a plan and edge View of the seal-cover of the bar. Fig. Fig. 5 is a view of the. soft-metal seal that I propose to use on the bar for locking.

My invention consists in certain details in a bar-and-shackle lock to be used with a paper and soft-metal seal combined, as are more fully hereinafter set forth.

In order that those skilled in the art may make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A is a bow or shackle, having the openings ct c. Through the said openings a bar, B, is fitted, having a head, 1), upon it. At 0 there is pivoted a piece, D, which will revolve on a plane with the upper surface of the bar B. A hinge, E, connects a seal-cover, F, with D, so as to allow it freely to work to and from the bar. Holes in the cover F allow the" insertion of a soft-metal seal, and an opportunity to observe the paper sea-l which lies beneath it. The bar B is cut away, as shown especially in Fig. 2, and has pins (1 cl rising from it and grooves d d cut in it. Teeth e e on the under side of the cover F fit into the grooves d (1. Just within the shackle, and at the end adjacent to the head I), is a spring-catch, H, which engages with 2. lug, g, on the cover F when it is closed on the bar B. The bar B has cast on it a rib, i, which comes flush with the top of the cover F when it is closed. This rib prevents the rivet n of the hinge E being driven out; and, to prevent it from being pulled out, it is headed on the inner end next the rib. In order to prevent the possibility of driving out the rivet (l, I cast it as a projection on the bar B, and, after putting the piece D over it, I upset the end of the rivet. The hole in the piece D may be countersunk, so that when the rivet G is upset its head will be flush with the face of D, and cannot be filed off or tampered with without leaving a mark on D.

The operation'of the lock is as follows: The lock being open, the paper seal is laid on the cut-away portion of the bar B, and the cover F brought vertically down upon it until the lug g catches over the springcatch H and holds it in place. A seal of soft metal may then be put through the holes 0 0 and fastened. In this position the shoulder f on the cover F prevents the bar B being withdrawn. In order to unlock the lock, the shoulderf must be removed by displacing the cover F. This can only be done by revolving the cover, as the spring-catch prevents its being removed vertically. In revolving the cover F, the pins d d and teeth 0 e tear and mutilate the paper seal, so as to prevent its reuse. The soft-metal seal is then cut and the end of the bar removed from the shackle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The double-hinged seal-cover F, in com bination with the sliding bar B of a seal-lock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The bar B, with its teeth, spring-catch, and grooves, in combination with the cover F, having the openings, pins, and shoulderf, as set forth.

JAS. E. THOMSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. GAUSTEN, 1%. K. EVANS. 

